Doors Open in Kenora this Weekend

You can walk through Kenora's past this weekend.

Doors Open is being brought back for the first time in four years.

Jim Clarke is one of the organizers and says Doors Open is a celebration of not only some of Kenora's older buildings, but some of our newer ones as well.

This year a total of 17 buildings and two cemeteries are included in Doors Open along with three urban trails as part of the Trails Open celebration.

Doors Open Kenora will take place tomorrow and Saturday.

Saints Clean up in Mountain Bike Races

It was a clean sweep for the Thomas Aquinas Saints in the NorWOSSA Mountain Bike races yesterday at Mount Evergreen.

Connor O'Flaherty placed first in the boys seven kilometer race.

He was followed by Ben Scott in seond and Blaine van der Krabben who finished third overall.

In the cross country races, Daniel Thomson was the top local finisher in the Senior boys division, placing second in the seven kilometer run.

The Saints also did well in the Grade 7 and 8 divisions, with Katie Marcine and Mia Coma finishing second and third respectively in the girls 2.4 k cross country race, while Logan Spencer and Jayme Caron were second and third in the boys division.

Save ELA Petitions to be Presented on Parliament Hill

The battle to save the Experimental Lakes area east of Kenora is heading to Parliament Hill once again today.

A number of petitions will be presented to M.P.'s.

Diane Oriehl heads up the group Save the ELA and says they are trying to protect research that's vital to our eco-system.

People from across Canada and even internationally have signed the petitions.

The ELA is slated to close in March of next year.

OPP Release Results of Satisfaction Survey

The OPP are getting better than passing grades from local residents in the way they police the City of Kenora.

The results of the most recent Community Satisfaction Survey were released yesterday.
Inspector Dave Lucas says the information helps them develop their annual business plan.

Lucas says more than 70 percent of those surveyed felt alcohol and drug abuse were the biggest issues in the community.

In the Town of Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls, 61 percent of respondants indicated that break and enters were the biggest issue.

High School Students Get their Netbooks

Highschool students across the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board are now all outfitted with a new computer.

Over the past week, the board has been handing out netbooks for students in grades 9 through to 12.

Technology Teacher Mary Trist says the students seemed to be pretty comfertable with them.

Students in grade 4-8 within the Keewatin Patricia District School board will also be using them.

Northwest Regional Conference Starts today

Northwestern Ontario political and business leaders begin a two day conference in Thunder Bay today.

Ron Nelson, of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, says the regional meeting is a chance to discuss our readiness for the mining boom that's approaching.

The Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce is co-host of the conference.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield, and councillor's Louis Roussin and Ron Lunny are attending

the Regional Conference. 

Ignace Man Faces Sex Assault Charges

O.P.P. are laying sexual assault charges against an Ignace man after a minor came forward to police.

The 46 year old man was arrested Wednesday after a reported incident on September 19th.

The man remains in custody, charged with sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching and sexual interference.

His name is not being released in order to protect the identity of the victim.

Cigarette Responsible for Salvation Army Fire in Fort Frances

Police say it's most likely a burning cigarette started a fire at the Salvation Army in Fort Frances.

On Monday, police and the fire department responded to the fire at the building on Victoria Avenue, and extinguished the fire involving items left outside of the building.

Police say the fire happened outside of the building in an area between a walkway and a hedge on the North side of the building.

Police say a person of interest was taken into custody, but for an unrelated matter.

There have been no charges laid.

NWOSSA Golf Championships At Beauty Bay

Beauty Bay will be playing host to high school golfers from across northwestern Ontario today.

The NWOSSA championships are on tap, with teams coming from Thunder Bay, the North Shore as well as Dryden, Sioux Lookout and Kenora.

The top three teams from each division has qualified for today's championships.

Beaver Brae placed third in the NorWOSSA finals last week and will be participating along with golfers from Thomas Aquinas.

T.A. automatically qualifies as the host team.

Local High School Teachers Hold Strike Vote Today

Local members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation will be taking a strike vote later today.

Local union president John Dykes says it will likely take a few days to tabulate the results.

Teachers are upset with legislation passed earlier this month by the provincial government which bans strikes and freezes salaries for the next two years.

Earlier this month, local members of the Elementary Teachers Federation also held a strike vote, with 100 percent voting in favour.

Council Says Not to Tax Break on Mill Property

Kenora City Council is turning down a request from Resolute Forest Products, formerly AbitibiBowater to waive the taxes on its property on 9th Street North.

The company argues that some of the buildings left on the old mill site are damaged and are not usable.

Councillor Ron Lunny says they're not buying that argument.

Resolute wanted the taxes waived on the buildings for the 2011 tax year, the last year that it still owned the property.

Council Continues To Debate Future of JM Arena

Plans to turn the Jaffray Melick Arena into an indoor soccer complex is still generating debate at city council.

Yesterday, Councillor Louis Roussin says while he supports the concept,

he's concerned about the price tag attached to the proposal to twin the Rec. Center ice surface.

He says he's seen figures as high as 13 million dollars to build a second rink.

Roussin says if there is no government funding for the project, there's no way the city can afford a second arena.

He suggests it would be cheaper to put an ice plant into the JM Arena.

Northwest OPP Hand out Awards

The Ontario Provincial Police are celebrating their own and regular citizens today in their Northwest Region Awards.

During the fall of last year Daniel Morrison was working with the Ministry of Natural Resources conducting an animal count survey near Armstrong.

Morrison heard his coworkers cried for help and found her being mauled by a bear.

Morrison says he used his hunting knife to fight the bear off.

Morrison as well as Constable Randy Gosse and CO Ross Johnston received the Commissioner's Citation for Bravery and Lifesaving.

Classes Cancelled This Morning at Thomas Aquinas

Students at Thomas Aquinas will get a chance to sleep in today.

Hydro One has a power outage scheduled for the Jaffray Melick area from 9:30 to 12:30 today.

The Kenora Catholic District School Board says due to the outage, classes will be cancelled for the morning.

It adds that the school will be open for anyone arriving by bus today.

Grade 9-12 students are asked to report back to school for 11:25 for period 3 classes this morning, while Grade 7 and 8 students don't have to show up until 12:40.

Thomas Aquinas is the only school affected by today's power outage.

Body of Missing Man Found on Gunn Lake

The OPP's Underwater Search and Rescue Unit says it has recovered the body of a missing Winnipeg man on Gunn Lake, north of Kenora.

24 year old Blaine Letham has been boating with a friend Saturday night when their 14 foot Lund was hit by some large waves.

Both men were thrown into the water, but eyewitnesses managed to rescue one of the men, a 23 year old Winnipeg resident.

The OPP's Marine Unit began its search Sunday, while the OPP divers were brought in yesterday.

A post-mortem exam is being conducted today at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

By-Pass Safety Still a Concern

The safety of the intersections on the Kenora By-Pass are once again under a microscope following a fatal accident over the weekend.

A 42 year old woman was killed while being transported in an OPP cruiser early Sunday morning.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says to his knowlege this is the first fatality at the intersection of the Redditt Road and Highway 17-A, but adds there have been a number of near misses.

In the past, the city has requested that flashing amber light be installed before the stop lights on the By-Pass to alert motorists the lights are about to change to red.

SIU Says Accident Investigation Could Take a Month or More

Its going to take a while before any more details about Sunday's fatal accident is released.

The SIU has begun its investigation of the deadly collision that killed a 42 year old Kenora woman, but a final report could take a month or more.

Monica Hudon is a spokesperson for the SIU and says their reports are very comprehensive and it can take a while to gather all the information they need.

Hudon says on average, they try to complete their investigations within 30 business days.

Northwestern Students Win Bartleman Awards

Four northwestern Ontario aboriginal students have picked up a prestigious literary award.

The Bartleman Award winners were announced today.

Kiara Lynn Bird from Whitefish Bay, Rachel Bluecoat of Fort Severn, Chelsea McKay of Wunnumin Lake and Calista Mawakeesic of Sioux Lookout were four of the six winners.

This year's successful entries include poems that address the damaging effects of bullying, isolation and the legacy of residential schools.

The winners each pick up a cheque for 25 hundred dollars.

Fall Seatbelt Campaign Underway

The Ontario Provincial Police in Northwestern Ontario have launched a Fall seatbelt campaign.

The campaign is underway and concludes October 6th.

Constable Anne McCoy says too many people are still not buckling up.

A fine for non-compliance is $200 and two demerit points.

NDP Holds Health Care Town Halls this Friday

If you have issues with the local health care system, this is your chance to vent.

The NDP will be touring the Kenora-Rainy Riding this Friday gathering feedback from local residents at a series of town hall meetings.

The New Democrat's Health Critic Frances Gelinas will accompany Sarah Campbell at four stops.

They will be getting feedback in Fort Frances, Rainy River, Kenora and Dryden.

The Kenora town hall will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 at the Travelodge this Friday.